


Of Dogs and Whiskey

by VelveteenPrince



Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: M/M, fluff?, naughty dogs, night strolls through the woods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 06:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11709168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelveteenPrince/pseuds/VelveteenPrince
Summary: Mary's been determined for a while to get two of her best friends together one way or another. Whatever destiny has in store for them, well, that's for them to deal with.





	Of Dogs and Whiskey

**Author's Note:**

> Alternatively titled, "I Can't Believe its Not Angst" as I had every opportunity for it but DDadds is too wholesome for that. Also thank u so much Smeef for being such a great Beta ily <3

Holly’s tiny paws impatiently pad on marbled tile, tail wagging as she stares up at Damien. 

“Sit.” Her head tilts, ears perking up, but the small beagle remains otherwise motionless, following the cookie in Damien’s hand with longing eyes. 

Damien taps her back to signal for her to sit down, repeating the command. This time, she does as she’s asked. 

“Good girl!” Damien extends the dog treat to her, which she takes happily, leaning into the ear scratches she receives. “Now roll over.” He takes another dog treat out, motioning air circles to signal what she should do. 

Holly takes a moment but drops on the floor, never taking her eyes off Damien. She wags her tail in excitement as her front paws tap the floor repeatedly, expecting the dog treat. 

Damien’s phone rings at that moment, he pockets the cookie.

Holly is more than a little offended, padding towards him and sniffing at his hand where the cookie had just vanished. 

“Excuse me Holly, I’ll give it to you in a second.” He stands up, not recognizing the number flashing on the screen, but picks up anyway. 

“Yes, hello? This is Damien Bloodmarch.” 

“Wanna grab a drink?” The voice at the end of the line is raspy, but he can guess who it might be.

“Uh… Robert?”

“Yes. Wanna grab a drink?” 

He has so many questions, none of which come out. Holly continues to scratch at his shoes, energy kicking up. 

“Listen, Mary’s busy tonight and she gave me your number, wanna have a drink or not?” 

That only answers half of his questions. While also posing about ten more.

As if summoned, Mary comes through the door, heels clicking on tile. “What’s up, dear?”

Damien holds the phone away from his ear. “Mary did you um— did you give Robert my number?”

“Oh, he actually called you? Good man, that Robert. Knows to keep a promise.” 

“Mary you know how I get when I drink.” The smallest of pouts pursed his lips. Damien was never the best at holding his alcohol, he couldn’t allow himself be seen in such a state.

“You don’t have to drink.” Mary snatches the phone from Damien’s hands before he can protest, bringing it to her ear. “He’ll be there in ten.” 

“Mary!” She doesn’t hear him, hanging up on Robert and returning Damien’s phone.

“Not a word.” She pulls Damien’s name tag and frees his hair, letting raven locks cascade over his shoulders. “You’re going out tonight, and you’re gonna have fun. Now go change.” 

He’d known Mary long enough to know she wasn’t going to budge, having already made her decision. Damien sighs and complies, walking towards the back, Holly trotting close behind him. 

“Would you…?”

“Yes, I’ll call Lucien and tell him to get a ride home.” Mary waved her hand, telling him to hurry.

Their dressing room was a repurposed janitor’s closet in the back of the shelter, small, dimly lit, but big enough to fit a working sink and a table with a chair next to a hanger for their clothes. 

“Did Mary just set me and Robert up for a date?” He wonders out loud to Holly.

He can’t say he’s upset. Robert had always a certain rough charm about him that drew Damien in. As he begins to undress, tossing his working clothes on the table before pulling out his usual garments, he becomes aware of just how little he’s actually interacted with Robert. Nothing aside the usual nod of the head when they pass each other on the street. And the time Robert and him sat in silence in a park bench while Damien was nose-deep in a book. But he was fairly certain Robert was hungover that time.

He’d also once caught a glance of him casually walking what he assumed to be his dog one morning, as he stared out the window with his tea. Damien watched for a while, stifling a laugh into his index finger. Robert looked so different in sweatpants and without his usual leather jacket. Softer, one might say. It was a nice to see everyone else in the cul de sac also had a side reserved for themselves alone.

With trembling hands he uncaps his colored contacts, looking at himself in the mirror to apply eyeshadow. “What do you think, Holly?”

She barks in response.

“I know, but just because I get along with Mary doesn’t mean I’ll be compatible with Robert.”

“Woof.” She stood up on her rear legs, holding onto the table to sniff at the clothes containing the cookie she knew she deserved. 

“That too. I mean, what if she’s wrong and we can’t hit it off? I don’t know, this all seems very—”

_Shuffle. Clank, clatter_

“Holly?” He turns around to find her rummaging the back pocket of his pants on the floor. “Oh, sorry girl.” He kneels down to take the cookie out and hand it to her, adding well-deserved head rubs. 

He finally catches glimpse at the table, where his contacts are missing. “Holly where did my—” He tries to stand up, grabbing for his glasses to find his way around the poorly lit room. 

_Crack_

Plastic snaps under his boot. His stomach turns. 

He throws his cloak on, running to the front desk and slamming the broken case in front of Mary. “I must cancel the date with Robert.” 

“Whoa what? He doesn’t take kindly to quitters, you know.”

“I’ve got no time to go get my spare pair from home.” 

“Dames...” 

“It’s best if we reschedule. I’ll call him right now and—”

“Damien!” Mary holds him by the shoulders, forcing him to look up. She reaches out for the glasses resting on his head, putting them on him. “There. Now there’s no need to reschedule anything.” 

“But—”

“Trust Mary once in a while. You’ll have fun.” Damien knew there was no arguing with her once she started referring to herself in the third person. He lets her fix his collar instead. 

“Looks like you have someone at your coattails.” Damien looks down to see Holly hadn’t left his side. She was new and not really socializing with the other dogs, instead hanging around Damien all day every day until he had to go home. “You should take her. It’ll be a nice change of pace for her.” 

“Oh, I doubt that’d…” 

“I know Robert. And I know you. If things get uncomfortable, you’re going to want to have a dog by your side.”

He sighs. “Where to?” 

Mary shrugs, only now realizing she didn’t stop to get the place of meeting, but she sends him in the direction of Jim and Kim’s. 

Outside is quiet. Which is good for Holly’s confidence to walk comfortably in front of Damien, tiny paws pattering along the pavement. She wags her tail as they pass the park.

“What is it Holly?” She tugs at the leash, her front paws raised in the air as she tries to run in a direction that very much _isn’t_ Jim and Kim’s. “Okay, okay. But not too long, we don’t want to be late.” 

Turns out the field wasn’t where she wanted to run to. Instead, she dragged Damien along towards a tall wall of trees delimiting the entrance to into the woods. Damien gulps at the menacing branches and green crowns looming over his head. He loved nature, for sure. But he had a sneaking suspicion a night stroll through the woods was no walk in the park… quite literally.

Through tugging and pulling, Holly manages to free herself, the leash gives out with a snap. She runs deep into the woods, the remnants of her leash trailing behind her, held together by a single string. 

Damien forgets all his fears and runs after her, careful not to trip over any stray branches or get one of his heels caught in mushy soil. “Wait!” 

She didn’t get far, he finds her in front of an old, fallen log, sniffing around the grass. Damien sighs, relieved. “Let’s go back, girl.” He kneels, picking Holly up.

When he turns around he finds everything looks the same. His stomach sinks, every inch of his body drained of all blood.

Damien covers his mouth, turning around once more. Holly looks just as lost. In the dark, he can’t tell north from south, trees and branches blocked his view, and risking going deeper could only end badly. He knew he’d left the shelter a little before sunset, but the crowns tangling above his head let little to no light through. The only thing he could be sure of was that very soon he wasn’t going to be able to find his way again. 

His eyes well up, what would happen to Lucien if he wasn’t home by midnight? What would happen if he couldn’t go home by morning? or _at all_?

Dry leaves crunched under heavy steps, squishing fresh soil as they approached Damien. He gulped, holding the puppy to his chest, trembling from head to toe when a light shone directly in his eyes blinds him for a second. 

Making a shadow with his hand over his eyes he’s able to make out the figure pointing a flashlight at him, a knife in hand. 

“Robert?” 

He looks just as confused as Damien. “What are you doing here? Are you the vampire of the forest?” 

“Excuse me? What are _you_ doing here?” 

“Hunting cryptids. What does it look like?” Robert pockets his knife, lowering his flashlight, but still very much on edge. At least, more than he usually seemed. “You haven’t answered my question.” 

“I… got lost and, wait— did you say cryptids?”

“There’s a rumor going around of a vampire stealing people’s pets to drink their blood.” He raises an eyebrow at Damien, “If you don’t mind me asking, where did you get that dog?” 

This looks bad. 

“What? You can’t possibly be suggesting— I work at the animal shelter.” He shares a knowing look with the dog, raising her in front of his chest. “This is Holly.” She sniffs the air. Besides a little covered in dirt, she’s as calm as ever.

Robert squints.

“You’re free to call Mary and ask her.”

Robert suppresses a laugh. “As if Mary’d give away one of her oldest friends.” 

Even though he kept his hand away from the pocket with the knife, Damien’s limbs were stiff as ever. It relieved him to see a familiar face in the woods where, for a second, he thought he’d meet his demise. And it was Robert, no less! 

Maybe it was guilt that tensed him up. To say this was… awkward, would be an understatement. Not to mention quite the unprecedented event. Had his mind created an illusion making him believe Robert had come to save him to cope with the fact that he was still very much alone in the middle of the cold, dark woods? 

_Don’t be silly, Damien._ He shakes off the thought.

“Is it strange for me to believe that the reason you never showed up at the bar was because you needed to feed on blood?”

“I— yes?”

Robert crosses his arms, a half smile curling his lips. “I’ll let you off the hook. If you help me hunt down a vampire.”

Damien was sure he was about to faint. Every creak and breeze ruffling the tree branches making every hair in his body stand up. 

“Is… is cryptid hunting a safe environment for a dog?” 

He shrugs. “Betsy likes it.” Robert looks off into the distance, his expression somber. “Or… she used to…”

“Robert!” His eyes widen.

He cracks a smile. “Just messin with ya. Let’s roll. I’ll take you home.”

Robert must have taken notice of him trembling from head to toe. He won’t deny he felt… disappointed. A part of him was hoping they’d get some time together. Ending their night on such an awkward note would sure file their date under Disastrous with a capital D. Damien considers it for a moment instead of following Robert.

“I…” Damien bites his lip. “Robert?” He turns around. “As…” Damien takes a deep breath. “As a pet-enthusiast I do not think allowing this… vampire… to roam around longer would be the wisest choice.” 

His brow rises. “You sure?” 

No. But he's determined. Damien nods. 

“Okay. First thing—” Robert produces a worn leash from his pocket, looking straight at Holly. 

Damien stifles a laugh, setting Holly down for Robert to attach the leash to her collar. She struggles but finds she won't snap this one so easy. 

“Do you always carry a leash around?” 

“Never know when you might need one.” Robert smiles, fists proudly resting on his hips. 

“Agreed.” 

The leash falls limp as two pairs of paws run away. Holly had managed to free herself from the collar instead, leaving both Damien and Robert too dumbfounded to react.

“ _How?_ ” 

Damien wants to ask the same thing. After they catch her, that is. He runs after her, Robert lighting the way for him. 

“Watch your step. A head first fall could be fatal if you encounter a steep hill.” 

That didn’t help to reassure him in the least. “Then what about her? Can she even see when it’s this dark? What if—” 

A reassuring hand meets his shoulder.

“No pet-abducting vampire is gonna take that dog as long as I have anything to say about it. Neither is some uneven ground.”

A distant bark reaches his ears. “She’s over here!”

“Wait, Damien!” As he takes a step he finds there’s no more ground, his arms aren’t fast enough to grab onto something. His heart leaps to his throat as he feels the cold night air in his face. A hand grabs his arm. It’s too dark to see, but he keeps falling, arms wrap around him. Still falling, his knees give out and he lets gravity take over, bracing for impact. But the impact comes not in the form of slamming face first into rocks and trees, but against a firm body catching his fall.

It still hurt, and he was sure, if he ever made it out of this adventure, that tomorrow he’d need a few painkillers. 

A groan reverberated in the very chest Damien had his head buried in. He pushed himself up, palm digging into damp soil and small pointy rocks. He hadn’t a trace of a doubt that crashing against this would do a great deal more damage than what Damien received. 

Somehow his glasses managed to stay intact, only slightly digging into the bridge of his nose. Pushing the hair out of his face he finally meets his savior. 

His savior was making a very pained expression with Robert’s face. 

“Oh my. I am so very sorry.” Damien quickly retreated, away from Robert’s body. “Are you alright?” 

Robert grunts in response. “Just peachy.” 

“That’s…” Damien extends a hand to him, Robert takes it with another grumble.

“Going to be a bitch to deal with tomorrow. Correct.” 

“Arf! Arf!” In the darkness, Holly’s voice calls out to them. Her small paws ruffling the leaves as she runs to them, not a single scratch on her body. None visible at least, he’d check her thoroughly once they got somewhere with better light.

“Let’s call it a night.”

“Agreed.” Damien finishes picking dry leaves from his hair. As self conscious as he is, he figures his pride isn’t worth finding a spider in his hair later on. He produces a hair tie from his cloak. Glancing over at Robert, he finds him still busy shaking off mud from his hands. 

Once Damien is done tying his hair up, Robert offers him a hand. Damien grabs the flashlight that had rolled downhill with them and landed nearby, accepting Robert’s hand. He picks Holly up, deciding this adventure is over whether she wants to or not. She doesn’t protest.

Robert walks in front of him. Damien gets a full view of Robert’s leather jacket, what should have been smooth, now torn and scratched from top to bottom. 

“Oh, Robert. I’m… terribly sorry.” 

Robert glances over at him, then down at his jacket, shrugging. “It’s just an old thing.” 

“Allow me to repay you for your valiant act today. I owe you my life.” 

Robert looks at him, confused, almost as if he hadn’t even stopped to consider repayment. And he most likely hadn’t. “All right. Let me lean on you.”

Damien blinks. “What?”

“I fell ass first. Let me lean on you.”

He can't really find the words to argue against what Robert’s asking of him. Even if it was… exponentially less than what he was willing to give him in return. He complies, but takes the moment to apologize again.

“Nah. I had fun today.”

“You can’t be serious. You’re injured! Because of me!” 

“No, I’m injured because of _me._ I took the leap.” 

After guiding them out of the woods, Damien feels the need to ask Robert to let him repay his kindness once again. His eyes clouding with tears upon seeing civilization, the street lights, and the familiar road leading up to their cul de sac. All right there in front of him. 

He walks Robert up to his door, feeling it’s the least he can do.

Robert unlocks his door. “Want to freshen up a bit?” 

Damien gives him a half smile. “My house is right—” _Oh_

He practically hears Mary’s voice in his head telling him to take the hint. Should he? Would that be too much? “Yes, of course.” The words leave his mouth before he can stop them.

Robert opens the door wide for Damien to step inside. Never before had he felt more calm being inside a stranger’s house. Truly, being lost in the woods hunting a myth changes you. 

From the couch, a small boston terrier leaps to the floor, wagging its tail.

“Your dog!” He sets Holly down when all escape routes into the woods are sealed, her dirty paws make a mess.  
Looking down at himself, Damien finds his own boots aren’t any better, and he’s getting soil all over Robert’s floor and, god, Robert is also getting soil all over his _own_ floor. They all need a bath.

“Yeah, Betsy here has been my companion in several ghost hunting trips.” 

Robert limps towards his mini bar, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. Damien declines when he’s offered one. 

He can tell Holly is on edge, staying close behind Damien. Betsy, on the other hand has no problem padding up to them both, sniffing the floor where they’d left a trail of dirt. 

He kneels down, letting her sniff his hand before providing her some head rubs that she seems to enjoy, as she leans into his touch.

“How long— Robert?” He can’t find him. 

“Come here.” Robert’s voice calls from upstairs. “And bring Holly.” He adds.

Damien carries her upstairs, finding two closed doors at opposite sides of the hall, and one in the middle, half open, a streak of light shining through.

He hesitates. Under the cover of the poorly lit woods and the menacing threat of either a vampire or spiders yanking his hair he might have felt safe in his appearance. But the bathroom’s bright colors contrast with the rest of the house. There is no hiding in this light. Damien lets his hair down again, and secures his glasses in one of his cloak’s many pockets before pushing the door open.

He finds Robert squatted in front of a running tub, leather jacket gone and sleeves rolled back up to his elbows. 

Holly happily trots over. Her tail waggles as she watches, from the edge of the tub, the water rising. Damien follows close behind, kneeling next to Robert as Holly becomes more excited by the second. 

“Want in, little girl?” Robert picks her up, gently placing her inside. Holly immediately begins to play, splashing water everywhere. Robert takes the shower head, washing off dried up mud sticking to Holly’s otherwise smooth fur. 

“You looked way more comfortable with your glasses on and your hair up.” Damien doesn’t know how to respond. Because he hadn’t commented on it earlier, he figured he had simply not taken notice… 

He doesn’t have to, as his phone vibrates in his pocket. It’s Mary. 

“Dames? You okay? I’m about to close the shelter for the night, where’s Holly?” 

“Mary! Thank god. We’re fine, we’re at Robert’s—” 

Mary whistles. “What? You scored and didn’t call Mary right away?” 

“What? No!” He can’t help the blush creeping up his cheeks.

“You still working on it? Well just make sure to bring Holly in the morning. And I mean early in the morning, not Robert’s idea of morning so don’t overdo it. Love you, Dames.” Before he can get a reply in, Mary hangs up on him. 

He looks over at Robert, who just seems amused as he watches Holly chase after a bubble.  
“Sorry about that…” 

“Hm?” Robert raised an eyebrow at him. 

“How’s your back?” 

“Hard to say until the bruise forms.” They share a laugh as Holly splashes water and soap all over them. 

His phone dings. He absentmindedly reaches for it, still watching as Robert rinses Holly. 

“Lucien!” 

A string of texts pour all at once. 

**8:51 [im home]  
** **9:24 [nothing to eat]**  
**9:26 [going out with friends]**  
**10:00 [...that ok with you? you usually answer to that one]**  
**11:07 [...dad?]**

Damien stumbles to his feet. “I need to get back home.” 

Robert turns off the stream. Holly shakes off the water again. “And… I’m sorry but could Holly… stay the night? My son…” 

Robert glances over at Holly, licking off the water collecting above her nose. He smiles. “We’ll take good care of her.”

“I shall come pick her up first thing in the morning and…” He regains his composure. “I’ll definitely repay you, for tonight.” 

“If you wear your ponytail again next time I just might let you.” 

Damien smiles before hurrying outside.

**Author's Note:**

> I really want to try writing more fics for this fandom so if anyone has any requests, I have a tumblr (@nsfwddadds) shoot me an ask, any ship is fine! Thanks for reading!


End file.
